Technology and Existence: A Critique of Human Enhancement Based on Heidegger
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Keywords
human enhancement technology, philosophy of technology, posthumanism, authentic existence, nihilism
Abstract
Driven by cutting-edge technologies such as brain-computer interfaces, gene editing, and cognitive enhancement, the structural framework of human existence is undergoing profound transformation. Human enhancement technologies are no longer neutral tools external to and serving humanity but are increasingly becoming foundational conditions that constitute the essence of humanity. This paper aims to elucidate how human enhancement technologies have transitioned from their traditional role as “tools” to become conditional mechanisms that constitute the “essence of humanity,” and to analyze the profound implications of this transformation for subjectivity, sense of meaning, and ethical order. Drawing on Heidegger's philosophy of technology as a theoretical foundation, combined with post-humanist ideas from thinkers like Sloterdijk and Simondo, the analysis unfolds across three levels: first, traditional tool theory struggles to explain technology's deep integration into cognitive and social structures; second, technology is gradually transforming human subjectivity into system components; third, this process may trigger a nihilistic crisis of meaning. In this context, it is argued that we should not simply resist technology but instead rebuild sensitivity to existence and ethical boundaries in the dimensions of “authentic existence” and “coexistence,” promoting a technology ethics with ontological depth. This includes interventions at the levels of design, institutions, and public participation to uphold human dignity and meaning in the age of enhancement.
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